M1 a key player in marginal Gold Coast seat of Gaven
It’s one of Queensland’s most marginal electorates – divided by one of its busiest roads. And it will be a seat to watch at next month’s state election.
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The battle lines have been drawn on the Gold Coast as both major parties go head to head over plans to slash congestion in the fast-growing region amid warnings that parts of the Gold Coast section of the M1 are fast approaching capacity.
In the must-win electorate of Gaven – held by the Labor Government with a tiny margin of 0.7 per cent – the M1 cuts through the south and runs along its border, and is used daily by thousands of locals.
The motorway is set to dominate the campaign for Labor’s only seat on the Gold Coast, where first-term MP Meaghan Scanlon will be taking on the LNP’s Kirsten Jackson.
Both parties are pledging to build a second M1, or a Coomera Connector, to divert traffic away from the existing Pacific Motorway amid concerns from the RACQ that many sections of the highway are quickly reaching capacity.
RACQ head of public policy Rebecca Michael said this was resulting in delays, congestion and crashes — with limited room for expansion.
She said there were not any real alternatives to the motorway, which is used as the primary north-south corridor for freight, tourism and general traffic.
“We need the Coomera Connector to redistribute traffic, relieve pressure on the M1 and provide an alternative route if there’s an incident that closes the M1,” Dr Michael said.
“It will also service and provide the high growth northern Gold Coast suburbs with transport options.
“In the meantime some upgrades are still required on the M1 like additional lanes projects, interchange upgrades and managed motorway technology.”
The State and Federal governments are already working together on a business case for a Coomera Connector. This is due to be finished by mid-2021.
Ms Scanlon touted the project as a significant piece of work that would build an entirely new motorway, pointing to Labor’s decision to gazette the corridor for the new road.
“Shovels will hit the ground when we get, of course, consensus on the funding,” Ms Scanlon said.
While a timeline for construction is yet to be determined, stage one of the Coomera Connector would be along the southern end between Coomera and Nerang.
The gazetted corridor is wide enough for six lanes, and runs for 45km between the Logan Motorway and Pacific Motorway interchange in Loganholme and Nerang-Broadbeach Rd at Nerang.
Ms Jackson said a lot of people in the electorate worked in trades at different ends of the Gold Coast and were very reliant on the M1.
“For them to sit in congestion every day adds another hour, hour and a half — that’s another hour or hour and a half they can’t have with their family,” she said.
Under the LNP’s proposal, a second M1 would be built along a 36km stretch from Nerang-Broadbeach Rd to Stapylton-Jacobs Well Rd and would cost $1.1 billion.
The Opposition says construction would start as early as next year, subject to environmental approvals from the Federal Government – but Ms Scanlon has cast doubt on that time frame.
“To suggest you could just start building it tomorrow is pretty ridiculous,” she said.
“You need to finish the business case, have the detailed design, before you can start sending trucks out there.”
Ms Jackson hit out at the proposed time frame of the Coomera Connector.
“They are proposing a business case for the end of 2021,” she said.
“We’re talking about shovel ready (for LNP second M1) as soon as environmental approvals happen.”
Ms Scanlon, who won the seat off the LNP at 2017 poll and is currently serving as assistant tourism minister, said her proudest achievement during her first term was securing funding and getting works under way for the widening of the existing M1.
Ms Jackson, a small-business owner, said she felt like Gaven was forgotten and that she wanted to stand up for the area.
“This area of the Gold Coast is not the glitter strip, it’s not tourism – it is the working the people that go to work every day,” she said.
“They use the M1. They’re working in hospitality industries. They’re working in the trades.”
COMMUTERS, TRADERS WANT ANSWERS ON M1
One of Queensland’s busiest highways divides one of its most marginal electorates with traffic-busting, highway-fixing strategies set to govern Gaven’s vote.
Residents and business owners are united in calls for traffic management strategies, which include decongestion strategies and noise reduction plans.
Helena Jaffar, whose business Helena’s Espresso sits near exit 71 of the M1, said the highway redevelopment plans, pitched by both major parties, could help hospitality businesses get back on their feet.
“I think anything that makes the commute easier for people and can get more cars on the road and people commuting will help businesses.”
While highway works would prove beneficial in the long term, roadworks could divert business traffic.
“We do get a lot of people jumping on from the M1 but there’s a lot of roadworks happening at the moment and a lot of changes within the M1,” she said.
Ms Jaffar hoped the elected candidate would act to turn their attention to the minutiae of traffic management.
Other constituents, such as local, Shaun Tolheok, hoped candidates would turn their attention to traffic noise pollution and Gaven’s infamous bottlenecks.
“I think although they are fixing a lot of roads, which is helping, I think the issue of traffic on the GC is in all the bottlenecks.’’